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View Full Version : Please Help HELP. GOLF GTI airbag light on



mickvlad
10-02-2015, 08:05 PM
HELP HELP HELP, Can anyone help me with my airbag light issue. i have just bought a 2000 reg mk4 2.0 gti and it has the dreaded airbag light on dash. i have finished all other work that it needed doing to it to get it ready for its mot, but i do not own a vag diagnostic tool and they are pretty expensive. i am a bit strapped for cash at the moment but i am willing to do a favour mechanicaly in return for help given. need to find out what is wrong with the airbag system to fix it. is there anyone anyone in the stoke on trent area who is willing to help. thanks in advance.:Blush:

Doctle Odd
10-02-2015, 08:10 PM
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=56.231139,-2.779541&iwloc=0004c505cfcb6158e0447&msa=0&spn=3.493691,10.821533&mid=zwQHurSsCMz8.kMTwqF0PoXwc

You can buy a cheapo handheld scanner for 30 notes

zollaf
10-02-2015, 08:14 PM
no airbag warning light at all, can't fail mot .

Doctle Odd
10-02-2015, 08:32 PM
no airbag warning light at all, can't fail mot .

Do they not have to go on and then off? Plenty of cars in Ireland have the air-bag light on the same circuit as the ABS light :naughty:

zollaf
10-02-2015, 08:46 PM
lol, thats a way around it. no, here, by the letter of the mot rules, if the airbag light stays on, it fails. if there is no light at all, not even one when you turn the ignition on, then it is presumed its not fitted with airbags so has to pass. its easy to see an abs pump, sensors etc, but hard to see airba components. the fact the steering wheel says 'SRS' dosn't count as you may have fitted an airbag steering wheel because it looks nice.

mickvlad
10-02-2015, 09:39 PM
hi , thanks for the advice but i have 2 cheapo diag tools and both dont work on my car. also here in england if the light does not come on then it is a mot fail. i have taken a car with bulb out and failed .

Doctle Odd
10-02-2015, 09:47 PM
VAG Scanner Engine ABS Airbag Diagnostic Scan Tool VW Seat Skoda Audi COM Reset | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301307548608?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT) will do your job easily enough

KrashBandiKoot
10-02-2015, 10:29 PM
no airbag warning light at all, can't fail mot .

If the air bag/SRS warning light does not come on and go out to show the system is armed and working it WILL fail the MOT. It's the same with the ABS light, that MUST come on and go out.

Air bag faults are usually due to the pad sensors in the seats, they tend to wear and the mesh gets broken. Modern airbag systems tend to only arm for the passenger side when it detects a passenger in the seat. Drivers air bags are always armed for obvious reasons.

The simple fix to this is to get a bypass unit so the airbag is always armed regardless of a passenger in the seat. It's a small unit that plugs in under the seat instead of the sensor mat. Sadly it will NOT put out the airbag light, that needs a system reset to clear the fault. A scanner will not solve the problem, all it'll do is show the fault code. I'm not sure but you may be able to get the Golf software off Ebay and relevant connecting cable to plug in your laptop into the car; I know you can for BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce/Bentley.

Doctle Odd
10-02-2015, 10:32 PM
The little scan tool I posted a link to will reset the air-bag light when the problem is rectified

KrashBandiKoot
10-02-2015, 11:00 PM
The little scan tool I posted a link to will reset the air-bag light when the problem is rectified

Scan tools usually don't. The clue is in the name :p

If that one does then it's all good :)

Doctle Odd
10-02-2015, 11:07 PM
Scan tools usually don't. The clue is in the name :p

If that one does then it's all good :)

I have that tool and it will extinguish the light when the fault is fixed. Your move

KrashBandiKoot
10-02-2015, 11:19 PM
Wow I'm so impressed!

I just can't express just how truly impressed I am by this check mate that a scan tool will actually reset a fault!

I mean wow! It's so amazing you have such a thing.

I can only assume that the correct software and correct OBD cable would be a bit beyond you since it's a little more advanced than just a button. But hey! Whatever works for you. How are you with things like DIS, INPA, EDIABAS, IBUS, CANBUS, CARSOFT, P.A. Soft and other diagnostic software? Any good?

Doctle Odd
10-02-2015, 11:22 PM
Wow I'm so impressed!

I just can't express just how truly impressed I am by this check mate that a scan tool will actually reset a fault!

I mean wow! It's so amazing you have such a thing.

I can only assume that the correct software and correct OBD cable would be a bit beyond you since it's a little more advanced than just a button. But hey! Whatever works for you. How are you with things like DIS, INPA, EDIABAS, IBUS, CANBUS, CARSOFT, P.A. Soft and other diagnostic software? Any good?

All way above me I'm always too busy changing the points in diesels to learn anything,

KrashBandiKoot
10-02-2015, 11:28 PM
All way above me I'm always too busy changing the points in diesels to learn anything,

Don't forget to change the spark plugs too, maybe you can get the airbag button on your scan tool to renew and reset them?

Doctle Odd
10-02-2015, 11:34 PM
Don't forget to change the spark plugs too, maybe you can get the airbag button on your scan tool to renew and reset them?

Did you actually read the OP's question? The guy has a 15 year old car with a fault and he has no money. A dealer will charge him £100.00 to tell him what's wrong and £100.00 to turn off the light when he fixes the fault. Should I recommend he gets VAS-PC? £30.00 is very acceptable price to fix what is an old car. Of course you can call around to him and use your diagnostic software on your super duper high tech laptop and probably find the time to knit yourself a personality while you work on his golf.

KrashBandiKoot
11-02-2015, 09:57 AM
So he has no money and you're saying he should spend £30 in a scan tool when the software and cable will cost £10 to £20 along with a bypass unit that'll cost £5 to £7?

Who's the one saving him a few quid here and suggesting diagnostic equipment/software that'll help him AVOID dealers in the future rather than using a basic scan tool that'll have one or two additional features on it but won't actually solve problems? The scan tool you're on about will reset the fault once a bypass is install but it WILL NOT clear the error memory which in itself can cause the fault to show again even though it's not actually there.

Not once did I suggest he has a dealer put the light out so where you go that from I have no idea. I can only assume you're one of those inexperienced insecure types who sits behind a keyboard offering "advice" which is next to useless while vicariously sitting on the Internet trying to have a life trying to play keyboard warrior and posture to try and make yourself look good or at least better than you actually are.

The software I suggested doesn't need a "super duper laptop" (though what one of those is I'm unsure), just any standard Windows XP or 7 system and enough hard drive space for a couple of gigs for the package itself.

Now run along son and go change some points and spark plugs on a diesel with a hammer as you're making yourself look silly with these outlandish accusations about high tech super duper laptops to run very basic yet very invasive software packages that can be bought for next to nothing but have far more use than a plug and play system which has a couple of buttons. Your lack of basic understanding and knowledge irritates me somewhat but not enough to hang onto.

Doctle Odd
11-02-2015, 10:18 AM
So he has no money and you're saying he should spend £30 in a scan tool when the software and cable will cost £10 to £20 along with a bypass unit that'll cost £5 to £7?

Who's the one saving him a few quid here and suggesting diagnostic equipment/software that'll help him AVOID dealers in the future rather than using a basic scan tool that'll have one or two additional features on it but won't actually solve problems? The scan tool you're on about will reset the fault once a bypass is install but it WILL NOT clear the error memory which in itself can cause the fault to show again even though it's not actually there.

Not once did I suggest he has a dealer put the light out so where you go that from I have no idea. I can only assume you're one of those inexperienced insecure types who sits behind a keyboard offering "advice" which is next to useless while vicariously sitting on the Internet trying to have a life trying to play keyboard warrior and posture to try and make yourself look good or at least better than you actually are.

The software I suggested doesn't need a "super duper laptop" (though what one of those is I'm unsure), just any standard Windows XP or 7 system and enough hard drive space for a couple of gigs for the package itself.

Now run along son and go change some points and spark plugs on a diesel with a hammer as you're making yourself look silly with these outlandish accusations about high tech super duper laptops to run very basic yet very invasive software packages that can be bought for next to nothing but have far more use than a plug and play system which has a couple of buttons. Your lack of basic understanding and knowledge irritates me somewhat but not enough to hang onto.

Bypass air-bag? With what? a Maplins resistor? You sir are a gnostic on me or my abilities about which you have the same level of knowledge as you have about your ancestory.

KrashBandiKoot
11-02-2015, 10:29 AM
Bypass air-bag? With what? a Maplins resistor? You sir are a gnostic on me or my abilities about which you have the same level of knowledge as you have about your ancestory.

No! You bypass the seat mat which detects a passenger in the seat.

The fact you're attempting to make personal comments about my ancestry, (note the correct spelling not the phonic, lisp driven one you've produced), shows you to be inferior and insecure. I'm done with you and your lack of understanding on this matter. Ramble if you will, I'm truly past caring.

Doctle Odd
11-02-2015, 10:37 AM
No! You bypass the seat mat which detects a passenger in the seat.

The fact you're attempting to make personal comments about my ancestry, (note the correct spelling not the phonic, lisp driven one you've produced), shows you to be inferior and insecure. I'm done with you and your lack of understanding on this matter. Ramble if you will, I'm truly past caring.

LOL as the Americans say "what a jerk"

zollaf
11-02-2015, 10:52 AM
hi , thanks for the advice but i have 2 cheapo diag tools and both dont work on my car. also here in england if the light does not come on then it is a mot fail. i have taken a car with bulb out and failed .
i am in england, i own a garage. as part of that i know the mot rules pretty well. if there is no airbag light then it cannot fail since the tester cannot prove it has airbags beyond all doubt. the presence of 'srs' on the dash or steering wheel is not proof beyond all doubt.

zollaf
11-02-2015, 10:52 AM
If the air bag/SRS warning light does not come on and go out to show the system is armed and working it WILL fail the MOT. It's the same with the ABS light, that MUST come on and go out.

Air bag faults are usually due to the pad sensors in the seats, they tend to wear and the mesh gets broken. Modern airbag systems tend to only arm for the passenger side when it detects a passenger in the seat. Drivers air bags are always armed for obvious reasons.

The simple fix to this is to get a bypass unit so the airbag is always armed regardless of a passenger in the seat. It's a small unit that plugs in under the seat instead of the sensor mat. Sadly it will NOT put out the airbag light, that needs a system reset to clear the fault. A scanner will not solve the problem, all it'll do is show the fault code. I'm not sure but you may be able to get the Golf software off Ebay and relevant connecting cable to plug in your laptop into the car; I know you can for BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce/Bentley.
read my post above. you are wrong, i am right.
if you have had a car fail because there was no bulb then you should ask your tester to prove to you beyond all doubt that the car in question is fitted with srs. after all it is quite fesible to fit a later dash and steering wheel with srs written on it, but that doesn't mean the car was fitted with airbags as standard, does it.

Flash2
11-02-2015, 11:43 AM
here in england if the light does not come on then it is a mot fail. i have taken a car with bulb out and failed .

Your MOT tester doesn't know the rules then because zollaf is correct, no bulb means no fail.

Flash2
11-02-2015, 11:57 AM
if you have had a car fail because there was no bulb then you should ask your tester to prove to you beyond all doubt that the car in question is fitted with srs.

No, just ask him to go and read the correct method of test on his MOT computer. The test asks if the light is staying on..YES/NO...simple as that. Whether the car has an airbag on the steering wheel or not has absolutely nothing to do with the guy carrying out the test. His job is to read the specified method of test and apply it to the vehicle not to start making up his own pass/fail criteria.

Sam
11-02-2015, 12:42 PM
[...]

I can only assume you're one of those inexperienced insecure types who sits behind a keyboard offering "advice" which is next to useless while vicariously sitting on the Internet trying to have a life trying to play keyboard warrior and posture to try and make yourself look good or at least better than you actually are.

[...]

Now run along son and go change some points and spark plugs on a diesel with a hammer as you're making yourself look silly with these outlandish accusations about high tech super duper laptops to run very basic yet very invasive software packages that can be bought for next to nothing but have far more use than a plug and play system which has a couple of buttons. Your lack of basic understanding and knowledge irritates me somewhat but not enough to hang onto.


[...]You sir are a gnostic on me or my abilities about which you have the same level of knowledge as you have about your ancestory.


[...]The fact you're attempting to make personal comments about my ancestry, (note the correct spelling not the phonic, lisp driven one you've produced), shows you to be inferior and insecure. I'm done with you and your lack of understanding on this matter. Ramble if you will, I'm truly past caring.

Ladies, please wind your necks in.

KrashBandiKoot as a new user who may not be familiar with all of our rules, please have a look here > VWAudi Forum - "Main Forum Rules" - Please read (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?2-VWAudi-Forum-quot-Main-Forum-Rules-quot-Please-read) < #28 for starters but the whole lot is a great read.

Doc, you really should know better by now.

Could we help the chap with his airbag light now please?

Doctle Odd
11-02-2015, 01:41 PM
Suitably chastised here Sam. Apologiies:flowers1: In this old car the steering wheel may have been removed, a crash sensor, a seat plug. Whatever it is only a diagnostic scan will tell. Quite often clearing the fault is all that's needed. Diagnosing by remote and suggesting a bypass (bodge) is bad IMO. I saw a post on this site recently where a guy was charged £200.00 for "diagnostics" Those little VAG scanners are very useful and even this old Mick knows when a fault code is cleared it's gone, not lurking in a secret electronic location waiting to re-emerge.